Pioneer to Participate in U.S. History Competition for Students
Author(s): — Date: 2012-01-27
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON, MA – Pioneer’s Center for School Reform Director, Jamie Gass, will join a distinguished roster of judges on Saturday morning, January 28th at the annual We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution state championship, where seven high school teams will compete to showcase their knowledge of American history and civics, at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
[read more...] Pioneer and Northeastern Present State Transportation Scorecard
Author(s): Steve Poftak — Date: 2012-01-24
Category: Better Government
Description: In the post-Big Dig era, transportation leaders must let the public know how their billions in tax and fare dollars are being spent. Pioneer Institute, in partnership with Northeastern's College of Engineering, is pleased to announce a new performance measurement “dashboard” that they hope will serve as a model for use by the state’s Department of Transportation.
The dashboard features an array of publicly-available data in an easy-to-digest format, and includes the latest available information on key measures of performance such as congestion, throughput, safety, construction management, and environmental stewardship. View it here: http://pioneerinstitute.org/programs_transportation_dashboard.php. And read the accompanying policy brief, Introduction to the Massachusetts Transportation Dashboard, here: http://pioneerinstitute.org/pdf/120124_Dashboard_PB.pdf. [read more...] Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America
Author(s): — Date: 2011-12-05
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON, MA – Julie Young, CEO of Florida Virtual School (FLVS), the country's largest state-wide Internet-based public high school, will deliver the keynote address at “Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America,” a forum sponsored by Pioneer Institute, Democrats for Education Reform and Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance. The event will take place on Monday, December 5th at 3 pm at the Omni Parker House.
Young will be introduced by former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift, CEO of Middlebury Interactive Languages, a joint venture of Middlebury College, renowned for its world language programs, and K12 Inc., the nation’s largest provider of curriculum and online education for K-12 students. [read more...] A Fair and Cost Effective Tort System for Health Care
Author(s): — Date: 2011-09-08
Category: Better Government
Description: Medical malpractice is a branch of tort law meant to compensate patients for injuries resulting when physicians deviate from general standards of care. With the Massachusetts tort system becoming too
expensive for health care providers and patients, and a legislative effort likely this fall to control state health
care costs, a new Pioneer Institute report, Innovative Medical Liability Reform: Traditional and Non-Traditional Methods, provides options for comprehensive medical malpractice reform. [read more...] http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/pdf/110804_RecoveringRecession_PR.pdf
Author(s): Pioneer Institute — Date: 2011-08-04
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: Summary of white paper, Recovering from a Recession: The Role of Start-Ups. [read more...] Outsourcing Helps Cities and Towns Provide Better Services for Less
Author(s): Pioneer Institute — Date: 2011-07-12
Category: Better Government
Description: Cities and towns across Massachusetts are struggling to manage budgets in the midst
of a recession, local aid cuts, and ever-growing capital, pension and health insurance liabilities. As a result, many municipalities have been forced to focus on cost-cutting measures in delivering public
services. To help them make more informed decisions and avoid pitfalls, Pioneer released its latest publication, A Practitioner’s Guide to Outsourcing: An Opportunity to Improve Cost and Service
Quality? [read more...] Press Release: Facilities Guide for New and Expanding Charter Schools
Author(s): — Date: 2011-06-28
Category: Education
Description: New report offers best practices from successful Massachusetts charter schools to help other charter leaders navigate the facilities development process. [read more...] Business Solutions to the Health Care Crunch in the Bay State
Author(s): — Date: 2011-06-23
Category: Better Government
Description: In a new report issued today, Pioneer Institute urges business leaders and policymakers to work to encourage the private sector’s creative approaches to insurance plan design that feature more
consumer engagement and real savings. The study, Business Solutions to the Health Care Crunch: Innovations in Health Care Insurance Plan Design, reviews a variety of plan options and innovations designed to promote healthy living while controlling spending. [read more...] An Open Letter to Secretary Bialecki
Author(s): Jim Stergios — Date: 2011-06-22
Category: Better Government
Description: [read more...] Expanding School Choice through METCO
Author(s): — Date: 2011-06-16
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON, MA – Pioneer Institute, in collaboration with the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice (CHHIRJ) at Harvard Law School, two research institutes that are often on opposite sides of public policy issues, today published a review of the nation’s second longest running, voluntary, choicedriven,
school desegregation program, the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity. METCO sends Boston and Springfield to public schools in the surrounding suburbs. METCO Merits More: The History and Status of METCO, co-authored by Susan Eaton, research director at CHHIRJ, and Gina Chirichigno, a post-doctoral researcher at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University, is the first comprehensive review of the program in nearly a decade. It includes data on student enrollment, performance, demographics, graduation and college
attainment rates, waiting list, and funding. [read more...] The ‘Big Shrink’ – Massachusetts Firms’ Dramatic Drop in Size
Author(s): — Date: 2011-06-02
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: The report, The Big Shrink: Declining Establishment Size in Massachusetts, draws on data from the National Establishment Time-Series Database to identify the key drivers of firm size contraction in Massachusetts, reviewing contributions by industry and establishment type (headquarters, branches, and
standalone firms) to determine whether the phenomenon is widespread. [read more...] Pioneer Institute Announces Winner of 20th Annual Better Government Competition
Author(s): — Date: 2011-06-01
Category: Better Government
Description: BOSTON, MA – Pioneer Institute is pleased to announce that “A Proposal for State and Local
Government Pension Reform,” submitted by State Representative Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont), is the winner of the 20th annual Better Government Competition (BGC). If implemented, Brownsberger’s proposal would make Massachusetts’ pension system fairer, more transparent, and financially sustainable. [read more...] Mary Z. Connaughton Joins Pioneer Institute as Director of Administration and Finance
Author(s): — Date: 2011-05-31
Category: Better Government
Description: Pioneer Institute announced today that Mary Z. Connaughton will become the
organization’s new Director of Administration and Finance on June 27th. [read more...] Muni Reform Results Must Be Real Savings
Author(s): Steve Poftak — Date: 2011-05-27
Category: Better Government
Description: As the Conference Committee takes up the budgets from the Legislature, state leaders must address the difficult fiscal pressures in our cities and towns and provide real reform and real savings on municipal health care. While much of the focus on Beacon Hill has been on the positioning of union leaders, they should keep in mind the students, taxpayers and citizens who will benefit from real reforms. The House proposal presents a clear path to savings while minimizing the potential for bureaucratic obstructions. [read more...] Ray Flynn Backs Repeal of Anti-Aid Amendments
Author(s): — Date: 2011-05-16
Category: Education
Description: Former Ambassador to the Vatican and Boston Mayor Raymond L. Flynn called on
state leaders to exercise political courage and leadership by providing educational opportunity for more needy children in a transcript published today by Pioneer Institute. [read more...] Education Leaders Urge Focus on Knowledge-based Curriculum, Warn Against so-called 21st-Century Skills
Author(s): — Date: 2011-04-29
Category: Education
Description: Professor Hirsch offered the recommendations during a recent guest lecture to an education
policy class taught by former Massachusetts Senate President Thomas Birmingham. A transcript of the lecture, Lessons for Education Policy Makers was released today by Pioneer Institute. The transcript includes introductory remarks by President Birmingham, chief architect of the
Commonwealth's landmark 1993 education reform law (MERA). The law increased education funding for cities and towns in exchange for high-quality state curriculum frameworks and rigorous student and teacher assessments. [read more...] We Need High-Quality Commuter Rail Service
Author(s): Pioneer — Date: 2011-04-13
Category: Better Government
Description: Pioneer Institute commends Transportation Secretary Jeff Mullan and MBTA General Manager Richard Davey for considering a long-term contract model for the state’s commuter rail service. At a hearing yesterday, Mullan and Davey faced lawmakers’ questions concerning the failure to provide timely, reliable service this winter. Pioneer’s Research Director Steve Poftak and co-author John Miller restated this recommendation in recent Boston Globe op-ed (“Commuter rail-off track” March 30, 2011). [read more...] Pioneer Announces MuniShare
Author(s): Joshua Archambault — Date: 2011-04-12
Category: Better Government
Description: [read more...] Report Urges Reforms to Massachusetts Connector
Author(s): — Date: 2011-03-17
Category: Better Government
Description: Pioneer Institute lays out seven steps to correct the Connector’s overreliance on revenue generated from subsidized insurance products, and aid the small business community. [read more...] Dumping Massachusetts’ Know-Nothing Amendments: Church, State, and School Reform
Author(s): — Date: 2011-03-16
Category: Education
Description: On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, Pioneer Institute held an event on removing the legal
obstacles to Catholic and private schooling in Massachusetts, at the Omni Parker House on Wednesday morning. Raymond Flynn, former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican and three-term Boston Mayor,delivered the keynote address, followed by Professor Patrick Wolf, 21st Century Endowed Chair in School Choice at the University of Arkansas. A diverse panel of education and policy leaders participated in a roundtable debate on this issue. [read more...] Transportation leaders highlight role of technology to deliver more efficient operations and improved customer service
Author(s): — Date: 2011-02-17
Category: Better Government
Description: Pioneer and the Center for Strategic Studies at the College of Business at Northeastern University are pleased to release “Keep Moving: Transportation Reforms Beyond Revenues,” an edited transcript of a 2010 forum featuring national transportation leaders. Six industry leaders convened to discuss how innovative technology can improve customer service, enhance operating efficiencies, and increase revenues for transportation users. [read more...] Report on reforms to state’s costly Unemployment Insurance system
Author(s): MHTC and Pioneer Institute — Date: 2011-02-10
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: [read more...] TEACHER CONTRACT STUDY FINDS HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICTS MORE LIKELY TO EMPOWER TEACHERS
Author(s): — Date: 2011-01-21
Category: Education
Description: A new study of teacher contracts in 25 Massachusetts school districts finds they range from “professional” to “factory” models, with high-achieving districts more likely to have contracts that give teachers flexibility to make decisions. [read more...] Pioneer Calls for Investigation in Wake of Channel 5 Report on Chester's Travel
Author(s): — Date: 2010-11-30
Category: Education
Description: [read more...] Pioneer Institute Announces Winner of 2010 Ultimate Citizen Award
Author(s): — Date: 2010-11-23
Category: Better Government
Description: [read more...] School Choice Models and Public School Reform
Author(s): — Date: 2010-10-19
Category: Education
Description: Former District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams, a nationally recognized
leader in education reform, will address a forum on “School Choice Models and Public School
Reform,” taking place on Wednesday, October 20th. The event is sponsored by Pioneer Institute,
the Black Alliance for Educational Options, Democrats for Education Reform, and Harvard’s
Program on Education Policy and Governance. [read more...] HIGHER STATE CHARTER CAPS A SMALL STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Author(s): Cara Stillings Candal — Date: 2010-10-13
Category: Education
Description: While the limited increase in the number of charter schools allowed in a bill enacted in January is a step in the right direction, vague language, provisions that pull charters into the very bureaucratic web they were designed to bypass, and a focus on promoting compliance over excellence limit the progress to baby steps, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute. [read more...] Hirsch Attributes Complacency, Drift Away from Academic Content for Steep Decline in Students’ Knowledge of Civics
Author(s): — Date: 2010-09-21
Category: Better Government
Description: BOSTON – National education standards expert E.D. Hirsch attributes a dramatic decline in American students’ knowledge of civics over the last half-century to a simple failure to teach it that has resulted from complacency about the proper function of schools in a democracy in a transcript released today of The Sacred Fire of Liberty, an event featuring Professor Hirsch and former Clinton administration education advisor Andrew J. Rotherham. [read more...] Massachusetts Technology CEOs Concerned Over Business Climate, Direction of State Economy:
Author(s): Steve Poftak — Date: 2010-09-16
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: Massachusetts business and technology leaders overwhelmingly view tax policy as the primary determinant of the state’s business climate and offer a pessimistic outlook on the economy due to what they consider an inconsistent and uncompetitive state business tax policy, according to a policy brief released today.
The Massachusetts High Technology Council’s (MHTC) annual CEO survey results, released in a joint paper with Pioneer Institute, Keeping Massachusetts Competitive: The Business Climate in Context (http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/pdf/100916_keeping_ma_competitive.pdf), reveals the importance of tax policy to job creators in the state and how the Commonwealth is falling behind competitors. The brief shows that 77 percent of those surveyed view business taxes as the most important factor in determining the competitiveness of the state’s business climate. CEOs also have clear concerns about the state’s future prospects, with 40 percent saying the Massachusetts business climate is “worsening” – the highest level since 1991.
[read more...] Common Core Standards Still Don’t Make the Grade
Author(s): Sandra Stotsky — Date: 2010-09-16
Category: Education
Description: The Commonwealth’s adoption of national education standards is again in the news, with the issue debated in a gubernatorial debate this morning and candidate Tim Cahill’s reversal yesterday of his opposition to the move.
This summer, Cahill called the decision to adopt the Common Core national standards “one of the most alarming and egregious of the last four years.” But speaking yesterday at an event hosted to Associated Industries of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, he pledged to support the national standards.
[read more...] Rhetoric and Reality
Author(s): James Bohn — Date: 2010-08-05
Category: Better Government
Description: A new Pioneer Institute report corrects a number of misconceptions about state pension system benefit levels. In Rhetoric and Reality, author James Bohn, a business economist with a Ph.D from Harvard and former principal of UHY Advisors, analyzes the actual pensions received by current state retirees across multiple dimensions, demonstrating a wide variation in pensions and surprisingly generous benefits for a few groups of state employees. [read more...] Common Core Standards Still Don’t Make the Grade
Author(s): — Date: 2010-08-02
Category: Education
Description: Even after multiple drafts, Common Core’s final English language arts (ELA) and mathematics standards don’t compare favorably with those in California and what was until recently in place in Massachusetts, according to a review
published jointly by the Pacific Research Institute and Pioneer Institute. [read more...] Public Safety Funds
Author(s): Samantha Levine-Neudel — Date: 2010-07-27
Category: Better Government
Description: BOSTON – A new report underscores the lack of clarity around how federal and state public safety grants are distributed to Massachusetts cities and towns. Where Are Public Safety Funds Going?, a new study published by Pioneer Institute, recommends changes to how to track these funds and ensure fair and data-driven distribution, as well as accountability for resulting improvements on key public safety measures. [read more...] Giving Away Our Competitive Advantage:
Author(s): — Date: 2010-07-21
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON – Today, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which Governor Patrick packed with new appointees in 2008, voted overwhelmingly to adopt national standards for education. In this vote, the BOE single handedly turned back the clock on fifteen years of student achievement and high academic success. Pioneer Institute firmly believes that this vote is a step in the wrong direction. It is well documented that Massachusetts’ current education standards are what distinguishes the Commonwealth from the rest of the country, which are critical to business and job creation. The proposed new standards reduce our ability to further raise the achievement levels of all Massachusetts students. In the future when policy makers seek to make significant improvements to our standards, we will need to seek the approval of dozens of states participating in Common Core. [read more...] National Standards Still Don't Make the Grade
Author(s): Jamie Gass — Date: 2010-07-19
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON/SAN FRANCISCO – Adopting the final draft of proposed national education standards in English language arts (ELA) would result in a significant weakening of the intellectual demands placed on Massachusetts and California students in language and literature, according to a review published jointly by the Pacific Research Institute and Pioneer Institute. [read more...] Senator Scott Brown Honors Award Recipients
Author(s): Shawni Littlehale — Date: 2010-06-18
Category: Better Government
Description: BOSTON – Pioneer Institute tonight held its 19th Better Government Competition (BGC).
United States Senator Scott Brown gave the keynote address.
Containing the Cost of Medicaid by Providing Housing for Homeless Individuals, submitted by the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership and the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, was the winner of this year's BGC.
[read more...] Losing the Relocation Lottery:
Author(s): Samantha Levine — Date: 2010-06-16
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: BOSTON – Massachusetts jobs are relocating to states with lower taxes and business costs. Pioneer’s new study in its year-long series on jobs and the economy, Playing the Lottery, shows that Massachusetts has been losing companies and jobs to states that are more receptive to business. The study concludes that policy makers should focus their efforts on improving the general business climate in Massachusetts, not just targeted incentives. Otherwise, Massachusetts will get a few big wins, but lose out over the long term, just like playing the lottery. [read more...] Pioneer Institute Announces Winner of its Better Government Competition
Author(s): Shawni Littlehale — Date: 2010-06-03
Category: Better Government
Description: BOSTON – Pioneer Institute announced today that Containing the Cost of Medicaid by Providing Housing for Homeless Individuals, submitted by the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership and the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, is the winner of the 19th Better Government Competition (BGC). [read more...] New Pioneer/Pacific Research Institute Report: Weak National Standards Basis for Weak National Tests
Author(s): Jamie Gass — Date: 2010-05-20
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON/SAN FRANCISCO – A new report demonstrates that fundamental flaws within the Common Core State Standards Initiative’s push for national academic standards, especially the weak definition of college and career readiness, will result in sub-standard national assessments. The Emperor's New Clothes: National Assessments Based on Weak "College and Career Readiness Standards" is the third in a series of analyses of the proposed standards and assessments by Pioneer Institute and Pacific Research Institute. [read more...] Pioneer Seeks Freedom of Information to Ensure Accountability and Transparency in Education Reform
Author(s): Jamie Gass — Date: 2010-05-18
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON – Pioneer Institute has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education (EOE) for any and all communications relating to Massachusetts’ policy deliberations and decision-making involving the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). In 2009, Governor Deval Patrick and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester announced that the Bay State would participate in the CCSSI, which is an effort to establish national standards for K-12 public schools. [read more...] Freedom of Information Act Request
Author(s): Jim Stergios — Date: 2010-05-18
Category: Education
Description: Pioneer hereby requests the following, as it relates to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education: Any and all e-mail, text messages, public cell phone records, phone message logs, other saved electronic communications, as well as all written correspondence that relate to Massachusetts' policy deliberations and decision-making. [read more...] Municipal Benchmarks for Massachusetts' Middle Cities
Author(s): Maria Ortiz Perez and Samantha Levine — Date: 2010-05-13
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: View the video press release here
A new policy paper from Pioneer Institute's Middle Cities Initiative calls for citizens and city officials to shift their approach to municipal benchmarking to one that recognizes meaningful differences within cities that may be lost in a broader comparison or statewide context. Municipal Benchmarks for Massachusetts' Middle Cities: A Look at Economic Growth looks specifically at the performance of fourteen Massachusetts cities in regards to their economic growth. [read more...] An "Incomplete" Grade on Creating an Informed Marketplace:
Author(s): Samantha Levine — Date: 2010-04-29
Category: Better Government
Description: A new report from Pioneer Institute finds that there is little evidence that the 2006 Massachusetts Health Care Reform has done much to meet two core objectives set for the reform, namely, greater transparency of provider quality and cost data, and improvement in the quality of care provided. Although significant funding has been added to the overall health care system through this reform, the final chapter in the Institute’s An Interim Report Card, Part 4: Cost-Effective Quality, gives the Commonwealth an "Incomplete" on improving the quality of care and informing patients and consumers about cost and quality. [read more...] Middle Cities Police Chiefs:
Author(s): Maria Ortiz Perez — Date: 2010-04-26
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: Facing the Economic Crisis: Challenges for Massachusetts Police Chiefs, the latest white paper from Pioneer’s Middle Cities Initiative, details the extraordinary struggles that police chiefs across the state currently face. More than simply "top cops," today’s police chiefs must serve as public safety executives who identify ways to maintain and improve public safety in the face of rapidly declining resources, increasing costs, and limited flexibility in this time of economic adversity. [read more...] Fair to Middling
Author(s): — Date: 2010-04-02
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON/SAN FRANCISCO – On the final day of public comments on draft national standards, two nationally known curricular experts are giving the proposed standards a “B-” in math and a “C-” for English language arts. The new study, Fair to Middling: A National Standards Progress Report, is the second in-depth analysis of the standards, and
is jointly published by Pioneer Institute in Massachusetts and Pacific Research Institute
(PRI) in California. [read more...] Massachusetts Health Care Reform Gets a “B” for Administrative Efficiency
Author(s): Samantha Levine — Date: 2010-03-24
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: BOSTON – Massachusetts health care reform receives a "B" for administrative efficiency from the third part of Pioneer’s Interim Report Card. The report finds that premium rates for individuals were reduced dramatically post-reform through the market merger, but there is only weak evidence that the reform has increased competition in the Massachusetts. In addition, it has added administrative costs overall, and policymakers elsewhere should consider whether the infrastructure costs of a Connector-like structure outweigh the benefits. [read more...] Beyond Demographic Destiny:
Author(s): Jamie Gass — Date: 2010-03-12
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON – A new report released today by Pioneer Institute finds that some school districts are substantially more successful in reducing African-American and Hispanic student achievement gaps than other districts serving students with similar backgrounds. Using U.S. Census data and controlling for family poverty and community education levels, Beyond Demographic Destiny: An Analysis of Massachusetts Minority and White Student Achievement Gaps demonstrates that students’ demographic characteristics are not determinative even within Massachusetts district schools systems. [read more...] Massive Job Loss at MA Headquarters:
Author(s): Steve Poftak — Date: 2010-03-05
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: BOSTON – A stark decline in the number of new headquarters combined with closures, contraction, and moving out of state has caused a massive drop in the number of jobs at headquarters in Massachusetts. During a period when job growth was stagnant, only the growth of standalone firms counterbalanced painful declines in employment at headquarters. [read more...] Why Race to the Middle?
Author(s): Jamie Gass — Date: 2010-02-23
Category: Education
Description: BOSTON/SAN FRANCISCO – A day after President Obama and Secretary of Education Duncan laid out an aggressive plan to expand federal control over K-12 academic standards at the National Governors Association (NGA) winter meetings, a new report criticizes the national standards process as "opaque" and the federal push harmful not only to states with existing high standards but to all states that want its students adequately prepared for authentic college level work. [read more...] Massachusetts Health Care Reform's Financing Gets A "C":
Author(s): Samantha Levine — Date: 2010-02-18
Category: Economic Opportunity
Description: BOSTON - Massachusetts health care reform gets a "C" for equitable and sustainable financing from Pioneer’s An Interim Report Card on Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Part 2: Equitable and Sustainable Financing. Although much of the evidence is positive, the rate increases for small groups, and the data on medical bankruptcy and financial sustainability are reasons for concern. Lack of current data is also an important issue, as some of the most recent data trend toward deterioration. [read more...] |
